With a spare few hours in Nottingham last weekend I couldn't help spending most of it in FOPP.
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For those who have not been lucky enough to come across one, FOPP are a chain selling films, music, books and other entertainment. You can find your nearest one here.
With my favourite part of FOPP clearly being the books, which for the most part are 2 for £5 I think I did really well to only leave with six. There was a horrible moment where I laid all my choices out and had to reduce my pile to meet my budget but I've still came out with a beautiful lot.
First of all I added to my Virgina Woolf collection with copies of 'To The Lighthouse' and 'Orlando' in beautiful Vintage Classics editions with introductions by Peter Ackroyd, Margaret Reynolds, Eavan Boland and Maud Ellmann.
In the Vintage editions I also picked up Angela Carter's 'The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories' a famous collection of short stories based on fairytales whilst challenging how women are represented in them.
There was so much choice, varying genres and some incredible music books and biographies I could have stayed there all day.
The next three I chose were Stephen King's famous 'The Green Mile', Simone de Beauvoir's 'The Second Sex' and Carrie Brownstein's 'Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl'.
Unless I need a book quickly I love coming across them rather than actively seeking them out or ordering online and i've really enjoyed finding King's book and charity shops recently. 'The Green Mile' was published as a whole in 1997 but was previously published as a serial. I have only read a few of Stephen King novels but he is an author I want to read more of and these last few book shops have really helped out.
I also picked up Simone de Beauvoir's 'The Second Sex' which definitely slipped through the feminist reading net, although I am intent on catching up. I was also really chuffed to pick this up in the 2 for £5 deal, have you seen the size of this book? I don't think it will be one i'll be sliding in my bag on a daily basis.
Carrie Brownstein's memoir 'Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl' was also part of the unbelievable deal. Following her through feminist punk music, women in rock and how these would define music and culture from the 90's through to today.
The final addition to my FOPP shop was the incredible 'Frances Ha' on DVD. I love a DVD and when 'Frances Ha' was taken off of a popular streaming service along with 'Lola Versus' I started to keep an eye out for them. Luckily FOPP came through on this one and added to my Baumback and Gerwig pile.
If you're visiting a city that has a FOPP it's well worth popping in. I'm thinking next time i'll treat myself to more vinyl, and probably more books.